TULIP TREE 25 6th September 2020

SPECIAL THANK YOU EDITION for the work of

JOHN AND JENNY SPARKES

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We asked a few people to tell us about John and Jenny!MauriceI have been asked to put together a few lines, on behalf of everyone at St. Dubricius, to offer a huge thank you to John and Jenny Sparkes for successfully managing all aspects of the financial structure of the church for the past 15 years.

John volunteered to succeed me as treasurer in 2004, therefore, I was fully aware of the trials and tribulations associated with the task.

He was quickly joined by Jenny, who took control of planned giving and the tax recovery side, which is still the main source of our income.

Throughout the entire 15 years, John ensured funds were available for the maintenance and improvement to the fabric of the church. In addition, he was always facing the challenge of overcoming various disasters nature sent our way, in the form of a leaky roof or bee infestation, etc, etc.

His foresight and planning is why we can enjoy the riches this church has to offer every day.

I like to think that John and I have some things in common, except for singing, where we are light years apart!.There has been the odd occasion where I have had to concede defeat when his

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national rugby team has outplayed mine.....but wait, haven't England won a world cup !!I know we are in good hands with Chris and Mike to take us into the future, but let's face it, the Sparkes are a hard act to follow.

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FROM KEVINJohn and Jenny were two of the first people with whom I made a personal connection, when I came to the parish in August of 2005. I immediately made a connection with John as he and I went to the same Grammar school in Caerphilly. Sitting in his study his inner sanctum was a privilege. It is said you can tell a lot about a person by the books on the shelf. In this case there were as many books about autobiographies and theology as there were about economics. I can’t say much about him when he worked in the Bradford University Management Centre as a Professor of Business Economics, but knowing the character of the man his care and compassion in his subject must have come over to his pupils as it did me. In the many PCCs that I attended, John in his position of Treasurer, always was able to make all the mass of figures seem like a happy stroll in the park, illustrating the figures with his brand of genial humour. Many a time I sought his guidance and wisdom when confronted with many tricky situations not only when I had to make tough executive decisions for Whitchurch but when things went badly wrong in the benefice. When up against it, John, who was ably assisted by Jenny, was always there to mind my back. My prayers and certainly the prayers of St Dubricius and all the treasurers from the other parishes, will thank God for his steady hand on the tiller as Jenny and John confront present health issues. But as the Hymnist says from John’s Baptist background

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“There is a redeemer, Jesus God’s own son” and goes on to say in the chorus “Thank you oh my father for giving us your Son”. I thank God for John, a precious son of God, as I treasure the time I spent with him and our friendship. “Treasure”, no pun intended, for the word goes further than the faithful service John has given us for all these years

FROM ANNE

When we first moved to Whitchurch I was slightly concerned about what our neighbours would be like as we had lived before in an isolated country house without near neighbours.  But how fortunate we were to have John and Jenny next door, not only are they wonderful neighbours but have become dear friends.  John proved himself to be the ‘hero of the hour’ when he climbed over our joint very high wall (with the help of a ladder) to rescue Roger after he had a very serious fall.  I was away that day and Roger was completely incapacitated.  John gave access to the paramedics and waited with Roger until he was taken into hospital.  Jenny too has done her bit, when she found me collapsed on my kitchen floor and had to phone for John for help to get me up to bed.  She called the doctor and looked after me until the doctor arrived.  It really can’t be too much fun living next door to me!

But we have had some good times too.  One of many fond memories was when John asked me to source a ring as a gift for their Ruby Wedding

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anniversary.  A very beautiful ring was bought and we enjoyed celebrating John spending his money with an al fresco lunch in their garden.  John and Jenny are really valued in our community and it’s lovely to have the opportunity to say thank you.

FROM SUEProfessor John Sparkes, or as I should prefer to call him, ‘John the Voice,’ has been blessed with talent and very good vocal chords. It is always a pleasure to hear him sing, especially when he joins in with the harmonies of the hymn tune. He holds our singing together and when he has had a week off attending the service, people have remarked, ‘Oh we needed John to lead us with that hymn!’ Of course, I would say that his God -given talent is because he is Welsh and he sings with HWYL! -that is with energy and enthusiasm.Being a Welsh compatriot, John, Jenny and I have had great fun teasing our English friends, particularly on the rare occasions when Wales has beaten England at rugby. We have been known to conspire to wear red scarves etc to church to celebrate. Brains, a wonderful voice and a wicked sense of humour, a great Welshman.

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On Friday 28th August, Sue, on behalf of the PCC, presented John and Jenny with these gifts which we hope they will both enjoy. Their “children” were asked to suggest gifts and we were able to give them a painting ( similar to the one in St Dubricius) of the church by Kathy Priddis, a local artist, who is Bishop Anthony’s wife and a rose bush to put in their garden, together with the card overleaf.

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Tulip Tree News

Please see separate leaflet for the Sunday service from Penny. Please include in your prayers our friends who have asked us to remember them at this time: Norman and Celia, John and Jenny, Wendy, Carol and Heather.

We think especially this week of all returning to school, university and college. Please see Sue’s reflection below.

Please pray for Kevin and Suzanne as they prepare for their wedding ( delayed because of the pandemic) on Saturday 12th September.

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10th September- Anne 12th September – Dorothy13th September-Maurice

BENEFICE SERVICES IN SEPTEMBER Sunday 6th Ganarew 9.30Sunday 13th Whitchurch 11.00 (This will be our first service so seats are reserved for Whitchurch people.) PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU BOOK WITH PENNY AS BELOW.Sunday 20th Dixton 9.30Sunday 27th Wyesham at 11.00Sunday 27th Bishopswood at 11.00

For safety reasons numbers are limited so if you want to go please let Penny know tel: 01600 714096 pennypowdrill@btinternet.com

This is the last Tulip Tree News of the present series. We will continue to send out service sheets by post and email until people are ready to return to church and we will continue to send you a

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newsletter- “News from our Pews”- with our latest updates about St Dubricius when there is something to report. Contact Liz and Mike 01600 890237. milesofcorse@aol.com

UPDATE ON ST DUBRICIUSGeoff has continued to work hard on the jobs to prepare for the opening of the church- details below. We will not be using hymn books at the moment but shelves have been put on the wall in the space left by the Gwillim boards, so that we do not need to have books near the floor, in case of further flooding issues.

In preparation for the wedding on Saturday 12th September we will need to do a final clean of the church, although the carpet will not have been fitted. We have had lots of kind offers to help with these final preparations and we would like to organise a working party to do this. It will be important to observe social distancing when this is done, so please contact Sue if you are able to help, so she can organise this safely.

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We would like to thank Norman and Celia for donating their flag pole, which they are no longer able to use at home. They have kindly provided money to cover the cost of installation and a new flag. This is a project which the PCC will discuss at a later date and, together with churchyard repairs, will be put into operation next year.

A VERY SPECIAL DAY!The first Sunday Service in St Dubricius will be on Sunday 13th September. It will be a said Holy Communion Service celebrated by Jill, but you will need to book with Penny.As well as booking a place we ask that you bring your own cushion from home and wear a mask. As we have new service books we will use these for the first time and then they will be left in church and not used for at least 72 hours which is in line with guidelines. There will not be a carpet fitted by this date and the church cushions and curtains will not be ready. Although we have a new organ, sadly we will NOT be able to sing Happy Birthday to Maurice in the time honoured tradition, but perhaps we can hum??

We plan to have a re-commissioning service on 18th October, led by Archdeacon Derek

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to celebrate the re-ordering of St Dubricius. We hope to gather the completed cushions just before this, so that they may be dedicated along with the other new furnishings. We have ordered the final 20 cushion kits now, so that the project can carry on during autumn and winter, so please help if you can.

GUIDANCE FROM THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND

In England, face coverings are required by law in places of worship, and in other public indoor settings. There are valid exemptions for some individuals and groups to not wear a face covering. In particular, those who are officiating at services and presiding at Holy Communion, and those who assist them (for instance by reading, preaching, or leading prayers) do not always need to wear a face covering, although one should be worn especially if physical distancing cannot be maintained (i.e. if gathered at the font). This exemption does not apply to worshippers, who should wear face coverings consistent with the requirements for any other public space.

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PRIVATE PRAYER IN ST DUBRICIUS

Starting on Thursday 1st October from 11-12 St Dubricius will be open for private prayer and reflection. At first this will just be for one hour once a week until we see how this works and test our Track and Trace system, deal with cleaning, etc. You will find that some areas of the church will be roped off and there will be a one- way system in place in order to comply with Covid guidelines from the diocese. There is no need to book for this.

The APCM has been arranged for 3.30 on Monday 5th October in St Dubricius. Social distancing will be strictly observed and masks must be worn. Unfortunately there will only be room for a maximum of 10 people other than the PCC. It will therefore be essential to let Madeleine know if you are able to come. Please phone 01600 890478 or email madeleine.newcomb@btinternet.com.

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From the DioceseStarting in late August, Bishop Richard will be marking the return to school and work with a special prayer pilgrimage around our Diocese. He will be visiting a total of 39 churches around the boundary of our Diocese including Saturday 19th September Wyesham 14.50.

VACANCY- from Penny

We seek a volunteer to take over as Safeguarding Officer for the benefice.  Jenny Sparkes is stepping down after having filled the role for a number of years. Jenny will be very happy to explain what needs to be done and I don't think the job is very

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onerous.  Please let me know if you are happy to volunteer for this job.

FROM SUE-   Back To School!

 It used to be that when I read those words in shops at the start of July, my blood would boil. The beginning of the holidays and businesses would be advertising for September’s return. I do understand that parents need to gradually build up equipment etc. throughout the holidays, but just as I saw Christmas cards for sale last Saturday, we seem to have a desire to rush through time headlong, without enjoying the moment.This year of course, some pupils have had a really elongated enforced holiday. I sympathise with parents who have been frantically trying to home-school their children.I can’t imagine the amount of work put in by the teachers and educators everywhere to prepare for the safe return of the pupils. Planning and preparation of the curriculum has had to be accompanied by rigorous regulations for the health and safety of the young people and staff.It is not surprising that there is so much anxiety shown by some children, parents and school staff as they return to the classroom. What a shame when for young people, school should be the best days of your life!Think back to the start of the new school year for you. Was it filled with eager anticipation, a joy in seeing your friends again, or the dread that your

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teacher for the coming year was not your favourite person? I know that I was always nervous to receive my new class, even though I probably had worked with them in school before. How would we all get on?We know that social interaction is so important in child development, learning how to share, take turns in an activity, listening to someone else and gaining in self esteem and confidence. I hope the imposed ‘bubbles’ work for all concerned.Education has to constantly keep developing to meet the demands and expectations of our changing world. I hope there will be time for an element of ‘normality’ to occur in schools and universities, to enable the youngsters to have the opportunities to build a bank of memories and life experiences.We are so fortunate that our school in Whitchurch is filled with dedicated staff who always strive to do their best for their pupils. I know that scrupulous plans have been put in place for teaching and learning and health, safety and well-being.I should like to send Mrs. Beth Stephens my best wishes as she takes up her new role as Head teacher, along with all of the staff who have already spent hours in planning and preparation for the new term and year.I should also like to ask you all to think of educators everywhere in your prayers particularly in these strange times, especially those adults, parents and pupils in our local community and Whitchurch School.

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Reminder WAG

The AGM had to be postponed due to lockdown and will now be held in The Memorial Hall on Saturday September 12th starting at 10am. Safety measures around Covid 19 will be in place. We would love to see some new faces at that meeting and the business meeting that will follow. Hopefully you will like what is discussed and join us as members

Please continue to support our local businesses

WOODS OF WHITCHURCH 01600 891021

A special thank you to Lucy and her team for supporting us all during the last 6 months,

AND FINALLY- as we sign off our 25th edition of Tulip Tree News, we would like to thank all those who have contributed during the series.

We have enjoyed putting these newsletters together and hope you have enjoyed reading them. As we have already said, we will continue to send services and occasional news to those unable to come to church and would like to keep in touch. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in the coming weeks and hope that you will:

KEEP ALERT, STAY SAFE AND ABOVE ALL KEEP IN TOUCH!

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